House Dems Mark 45th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade

(Jan. 22) – House Democrats today marked the 45th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court ruling that granted American women the right to a safe and legal abortion.

“We hold to the fundamental principle that women should control their own bodies and that government should not interfere with the medical decisions made by a woman and her doctor,” said Rep. Joann Ginal, D-Fort Collins, chairwoman of the House Health, Insurance & Environment Committee. “It’s disappointing that we continue to see measures to roll back reproductive freedoms.”

“Reproductive freedom is grounded in the privacy rights enshrined in our Constitution, and that has increased social and economic freedom for every woman in America,” said Rep. Jessie Danielson, D-Wheat Ridge, vice chairwoman of the House Public Health Care & Human Services Committee. “Now it’s on us to stand up to those politicians who are working to turn back the clock and put women’s lives in jeopardy for the sake of ideology.”

Six years before Roe v. Wade, Colorado became the first U.S. state to allow safe, legal abortions, becoming a model for other states. Support for the reproductive freedoms recognized by Roe remains strong in Colorado today, with surveys showing three-quarters of Coloradans believe Roe should be upheld.